Carter III Anniversary, New Music, Rap Legacy – Rolling Stone

Scoobdoo*

One recent afternoon, when Lil Wayne hopped onto Zoom, he was on a tour bus in California midway through the Welcome to Ta Carter Tour. So he’s performing at more intimate venues this spring to better engage with his fans. With a Grammy Award, a platinum shield, and a claim to rap GOAT status, he says he still has to work “still” until he’s satisfied.

“A true artist or trailblazer never retires,” Wayne, 40, tells me and says he’s never going to stop rhyming. For nearly 30 years, he’s been stuck in the studio almost every day, building a catalog of songs too big to even estimate.he recently finalized Koregrove 2, A sequel to the 2016 collaboration album with 2 Chainz. We are waiting for sample clearance before launch.wayne is mom Carter VI It’s the latest in his flagship album series, but February’s single “Kant Nobody” with Swizz Beatz (and DMX vocal samples) shows he’s working on that one too. there isThis year marks the 15th anniversary of his star birth. Carter III But Wayne told me it wasn’t a big deal to him. He’s too focused on recording the next rhyme.

how do you see Ta Carter III 15 years later? What role do you see this project playing in the catalog?
To be honest, I don’t understand Ta Carter III, Ta Carter II, Ta Carter 1 from Carter IV. That is my God’s honest truth.You can lie, you can ask me [about] I don’t even know what they’re talking about, this or that song. So it makes no sense to me at all.

If 2008 was your best time or your best time, would that change anything for you?
No, I don’t know when Ta Carter III It came out. I don’t know how much. I work every day, brother, every day. And also, I always see it as a curse part of a gift and a curse.i believe [God] Blessed me with this wonderful spirit, but did not give [me] It is a wonderful memory to remember this wonderful thing.

so you have Tar Carter In addition to the series, mixtapes such as drought, dedication, no ceiling, sorry 4 wait — Various project series. How do you differentiate creatively?
They all have their own approach.that is Tar Carter song, i approach it carter song effect. some mixtapes I [rhyme over] The songs that came out recently, all the hot songs. And I approach them the same way the original artist approached them. They just say different words. If it’s a mixtape with DJ Drama, I can understand why Drama would want so many original songs. But the way I approach them, I say whatever I want, because I know that’s what the drama wants.

I don’t think I have a favorite project series.
oh yeah. Not my favorite at all. My favorite song is the last song we recorded. And the next time you record it, you forget it.

How driven are you by the desire to be known as the best rapper alive?
Every action, every word, every approach. The only reason I’m still listening and working on my shit is because I’m in it. I believe that once you start listening to other people, you can’t be there anymore. You are happy just to be here. But I am not. I’m working on my game at the gym. I don’t care how high you jump. I don’t care how fast you run. You can’t even stand next to me with that shit.

To use the basketball metaphor, Michael Jordan can’t face Kevin Durant or LeBron James right now, but he can face a new generation of rappers. How motivated are you to show the next generation that you are still that guy?
The motive is not to show them I’m still that guy.The motive is to show them why I’m still that guy That’s motivation. I want them to get something out of it, and I want them to continue to be, whether they are men or women.

I recently saw Teyana Taylor and NLE Chopper giving you a present. Teyana gifted us an exclusive Air Jordan 1, and his NLE Chopper gifted us with everything including a chain. Do you often receive gifts from other artists?
never very often [laughs]. And what do you know? It’s a sign of a new era. Their level of humility was out of the stratosphere compared to our level of humility. We used the following bravado: My faction is better than yours. ’ No artist would say, ‘Hey, I’ll give you this. I’m not going to lie, the Rough Riders always had something to give me when I came to New York and they were cool. But other than that, they won’t give you any gifts or shit.

In interacting with young artists, what other characteristics have you noticed that set them apart from previous generations?
Social media has made it easier for me to feel comfortable as an artist these days. If you put a lot of effort into putting out a song and everyone likes it, suddenly someone comes to eat your pencil and he gets a billion more likes than you. It’s another world. When we’re doing this, we know that this is what we’re doing and that you like or love it because you like or love us. I had a sense of knowing. These kids know that no matter what they’re doing, they just swipe left or swipe right and everyone else is doing it too.So there are many things they have to do
deal with.

How many songs are you knocking out in a day?
I work on many songs a day. I probably read about 20 verses a day. I am on the bus now. We have a studio inside this bus. Behind me is the studio bus. When I arrive at any hotel, two engineers set up a studio in my bedroom before I even get to my room. And I told you, if there’s a nice studio in that city, we’ve already booked one in that city, which means I won’t stop working.

even on tour.
what? Yes, even on tour. what?If I had a studio, I would like to bring it to my child’s graduation ceremony. [laughs].

Have you ever been really touched when an artist said something about your influence?
It’s unexpected, so I say it every time. But the newest would be Homeboy’s NLE Choppa. People saw him hand me the chain, but when I went to take a video with him, [talked with] he was on the phone [I realized] That child is very strange. It’s amazing that there are people like him. But other than that, 2 Chainz made a whole song about me. Then I saw another piece where someone filmed themselves rapping a song, and it was totally an ode to me, it was me rapping “A Milli.” I was rapping to “A Milli” in the same way. Speaking of “A Milli,” can you see Tyga shooting the entire video using a video I shot as a reference?

What do you still want to achieve as a musician?
hey you I am very far from there. what? The Grammys are just starting to say what’s happening to me. Whenever I meet a fan, the first thing they tell me is that I haven’t achieved it. And I love it because I think I’m pissed about that too. I’m about to get it too, dude. ”

So how do you feel when you say “far away”?
it’s a bunch. That’s a whole other interview, dude. There are tons of things I’ve never done that I’ve seen others do. I told myself, “If I had the chance, I would never do it.” Super Bowl, tips, tips.

How do you feel about competing in the Super Bowl?
what? “what do you think”I would kill that shit. I didn’t even worry about the match after that. [who] were watching the halftime show, which would be one of the first Super Bowls for them to have both teams out on the field to watch the halftime show.

You’ve played in big venues for a long time. Have you ever missed an intimate venue and wanted to go back to this kind of tour?
Yes that was the whole reason. For the simple fact of accepting my fans. they love me dearly

It seems that there is a story that Koregrove 2, 2 The sequel to the collaboration album with Chainz will be released. Can you give us an update on the status of that process?
That’s all collegrove. me and tit [2 Chainz], recording each time we get together. There are about 39 million songs. But he put it together. He was just waiting for a specific sample to clear. he is very persistent So if things are not resolved he will go over and over to resolve it. So fuck, once he says when, that’s when we go.

I saw your videographer Phil gave you a pro skateboard in December. Have you ever used it?
Oh that’s my pro model. All my friends are professional models and skaters. We will skate together.

Since you’ve been skating for so long, do you want to enter a skating contest?
Oh my god No no. That’s what my skating team is for. Anyway that was all, just giving back and opening doors for my kids. They do this the same way I wrap.

Do you feel like you’re not quite up to par with them?
No, we didn’t participate in any contests either. Skating also has different formats. There are competition skating, vert skating, street skating and training skating. I am a street skater. So my entire platform in skating publishes videos.

Whose songs have you been listening to lately?
When it comes to rap, I don’t listen to anyone. I’m trying to improve every day, so I don’t have time. I say the same to my artists. Find your favorite artist and you’ll sound like that artist. It took Birdman and them to pull my butt aside and say, You’re not Jay-Z. ”

How did you react when he said that? was that what you were aware of?
yes, it worked great [laughs]. It’s like, “Oh, good, it’s working.”

How long are you going to rap? Have you ever thought about retirement?
If you work as I do, it can be a lot of work and flash. Even if I said that, I don’t think it means that I’m actually quitting my job or my music.probably just wanting to retire from everything else but music [laughs]. When you are an artist, a real artist like me, I was born this way. So I think real authentic artists and trailblazers never retire. They died while doing so.

We just saw DJ Toomp talk about a memorable studio session with you, 2 Chainz, and Benny the Butcher. What do you remember from that session?
It was a rap session. It was one of them. “Cash Money flew to New York and ended up in the same studio as Dipsett.” [or] rough riders [sessions]” That’s one of the old sessions [you] I used to watch it on VHS or something, and there’s Fat Joe, there’s Jada, they’re all in one studio, and it’s one of those sessions.

Can you estimate how big your unreleased music vault will be?
My drives date back to 2010, and that’s just this computer. That means it’s impossible to even figure out that number. Maybe in a year he’ll have a million songs.

I’ve seen a lot of lil wayne delay Story. Interested in doing something? Which artists will?
Are you interested in competing with
I was interested in a mixtape weezy playing against Lil Wayne. that would have been crazy.

So you stand alone on stage?
yes. What other artists do you think there are? There is no other artist who can stand on stage next to me, brother. sorry.